Howitzers are one of two primary types of field artillery. Historically, howitzers fired a heavy shell in a high-trajectory from a relatively short barrel and their range was limited but they were slightly more mobile than similar size field guns. Since the end of World War II, howitzers have gained longer barrels and hence increased range to become gun-howitzers.
| Caliber (mm) | Weapon name | Country of origin | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 5,3 cm L24 Kanone 1887 |  Switzerland | 19th century |
| 75 | 7,5 cm L30 Kanone 1903 (Dailly-Aiguille, based on Krupp Model 03) | Switzerland | early 20th century |
| 75 | 7,5 cm L30 Befestigungskanone 38. | Switzerland | World War II |
| 75 | 7,5 cm L30 Befestigungskanone 39. | Switzerland | World War II |
| 84 | 8,4 cm Kanone 1871/88 | Switzerland | 19th century |
| 84 | 8,4 cm Krupp Kanone 1880 (Dailly, Airolo, Stuei) | Switzerland | 19th century |
| 105 | 10,5 cm L42 Festungkanone 1935, K+W Thun. | Switzerland | World War II |
| 105 | 10,5 cm L52 Turmkanone 1939 | Switzerland | World War II |
| 149.1 | 15 cm fästningshaubits m/06 |  Sweden | World War I |
| 150 | Krupp 1877 (Dailly) [2] | Switzerland | 19th century |
| 150 | 15 cm L42 Bunkerkanone 1942/46, K+W Thun, | Switzerland | World War II |
| 150 | 15 cm L42 Turmkanone 1958, K+W Thun. | Switzerland | Cold war |
| 155 | Bison Fortress artillery 93 (15.5 cm L52) | Switzerland | Modern |
| 305 | 30,5 cm kusthaubits m/16 | Sweden | World War I |
| 406 | 16-inch howitzer M1920 |  United States | World War II |
| 420 | 42 cm Gamma-Gerät |  German Empire  Nazi Germany | World War I World War II |
The howitzer is an artillery weapon that falls between a cannon and a mortar. It is generally aimed lower than a mortar but higher than a cannon. With their long-range capabilities, howitzers can be used to great effect in a battery formation with other artillery pieces, such as long-barreled guns, mortars, and rocket artillery.
A field gun is a field artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march, that when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as opposed to guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannons and mortars which are too large to be moved quickly, and would be used only in a prolonged siege.
The FH-2000 or Field Howitzer 2000 was developed by Singapore Technologies for the Singapore Army. It is a 155 mm/52-calibre towed howitzer gun. It fires projectiles to a maximum range of 42 kilometers using special extended range ammunition, that was field tested in New Zealand. It has a crew of eight and uses a 75 hp diesel auxiliary power unit to give it a self-propelled speed of 16 kilometers an hour movement without towing.
The G5 is a South African towed howitzer of 155 mm calibre developed in South Africa by Denel Land Systems. The G5 design was based on the Canadian GC-45 155 mm gun which was highly modified to suit southern African conditions.
The BL 7.2-inch howitzer was a heavy artillery piece used by the British Army throughout the Second World War.
The M777 howitzer is a British towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and the United States. It was first used in combat during the War in Afghanistan.
The M114 is a towed howitzer developed and used by the United States Army. It was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece under the designation of 155 mm Howitzer M1. It saw service with the US Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, before being replaced by the M198 howitzer.
Field artillery in the American Civil War refers to the artillery weapons, equipment, and practices used by the artillery branch to support infantry and cavalry forces in the field. It does not include siege artillery, use of artillery in fixed fortifications, coastal or naval artillery. It also does not include smaller, specialized artillery pieces classified as infantry guns.
The M101A1 howitzer is an artillery piece developed and used by the United States. It was the standard U.S. light field howitzer in World War II and saw action in both the European and Pacific theaters and during the Korean War. Entering production in 1941, it quickly gained a reputation for accuracy and a powerful punch. The M101A1 fires 105 mm high explosive (HE) semi-fixed ammunition and has a range of 12,330 yards (11,270 m), making it suitable for supporting infantry.
The 122-mm howitzer D-30 is a Soviet howitzer that first entered service in 1960. It is a robust piece that focuses on the essential features of a towed field gun suitable for all conditions. The D-30 has a maximum range of 15.4 km (9.6 mi) or 21.9 km (13.6 mi) using rocket-assisted projectile ammunition.
The 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18 or sFH 18, nicknamed Immergrün ("Evergreen"), was the basic German division-level heavy howitzer of 149mm during the Second World War, serving alongside the smaller but more numerous 10.5 cm leFH 18. Its mobility and firing range and the effectiveness of its 44 kilogram shell made it the most important weapon of all German infantry divisions. A total of 6,756 examples were produced.
The Mortier de 280 TR Modèle 1914 Schneider was a French siege howitzer manufactured by the Schneider et Cie company, used during World War I. The howitzer had its origins from a Russian Army policy to upgrade its artillery park after the poor showing of Russian artillery in the 1904-5 Russo-Japanese war. In 1909 an agreement was signed between Schneider and the Russian armaments manufacturer Putilov to jointly develop and produce a number of artillery types. One of these types was a 279.4 mm (11-inch) siege howitzer with a range of 6,000 m (20,000 ft) to replace very old Russian guns of similar calibre. Schneider delivered the first prototype of the siege howitzer to the Russians in 1912 for extensive testing. Although the Russians found the gun was unable to penetrate the heaviest reinforced concrete fortifications its general performance was judged satisfactory which led to an order for 16 howitzers to be delivered in 1915. The French Army expressed interest in the Schneider howitzer as a possible replacement for the Mortier de 370 Mle 1885 De Bange. After some dithering by French authorities 18 howitzers were ordered in 1913. Delivery of the howitzers to Russia and France was delayed by the general mobilisation of 1914 which disrupted industrial production. During the war 126 howitzers were delivered to the French Army and 26 to Russia as the 280 mm Schneider Mortar Model 1914/15 before the 1917 revolutions. In addition another 25 barrels were installed post-WW1 on the Saint-Chamond heavy self-propelled gun chassis as the Mortier 280 mm TR de Schneider sur affût-chenilles St Chamond.
The 105 mm Howitzer M3 was a U.S. light howitzer designed for use by airborne troops. The gun utilized the barrel of the 105 mm Howitzer M2, shortened and fitted to a slightly modified split trail carriage of the 75 mm pack howitzer.
NORA M-84 is a Yugoslav and Serbian 152 mm and 155 mm gun-howitzer developed by the Military Technical Institute (MTI) for the Yugoslav People's Army, Serbian Army, and export. Gun howitzer NORA has three basic versions, and is usually towed by a FAP 2026 BS/AV truck.
The 152 mm gun-howitzer M1955, also known as the D-20, is a manually loaded, towed 152 mm gun-howitzer artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. It was first observed by the West in 1955, at which time it was designated the M1955. Its GRAU index is 52-P-546.
The Ordnance QF 4.5-inch howitzer was the standard British Empire field howitzer of the First World War era. It replaced the BL 5-inch howitzer and equipped some 25% of the field artillery. It entered service in 1910 and remained in service through the interwar period and was last used in the field by British forces in early 1942. It was generally horse drawn until mechanisation in the 1930s.
The 8-inch gun M1 was a 203 mm towed heavy gun developed in the United States. At 32,584 m (35,635 yd), it had the longest range of any US Army field artillery weapon in World War II. It was also used in small numbers by the British Army.
The Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 Saint-Chamond was a French howitzer used during World War I. It was based on a private prototype of a 150 millimetres (5.9 in) howitzer presented to the Mexican government in 1911. The French government ordered 400 Saint-Chamond howitzers in 1915, these being delivered starting in late 1916. Small numbers of Saint-Chamond howitzers were given to the Serbian and Romanian armies towards the end of World War I. The Saint-Chamond howitzer served in the French Army after World War I and were mobilised at the outbreak of World War II. Finland bought 24 Saint-Chamond howitzers during the Winter War and these served until the 1960s. The German Army captured some Saint-Chamond howitzers after the fall of France and used these mostly as coastal defence guns until the end of World War II.
Gun-howitzer is a type of artillery weapon that is intended to fulfill the roles of both an ordinary cannon or field gun, and of a howitzer. It is thus able to convey both direct and indirect fire. Modern gun-howitzers are usually identified just as howitzers.
The Type 7 30 cm howitzer was a howitzer used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War, Soviet–Japanese border conflicts and during the Pacific Campaign in World War II. The designation Type 7 indicates its year of introduction, the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Taishō, or 1918 according to the Gregorian calendar.
